Internships and voluntary work - the benefits

You do not need me to point out that there is more competition for jobs: I had a meeting today with a high profile financial recruitment company. They said that clients are wanting to fill posts but paying a significant cut in 'normal' salary. Also, outstanding candidates are prepared to take a cut in 'normal' salary, in order to secure A job.
So what does that mean to people entering the job market - such as graduates, school leavers or job returners after a career break? If experienced and well qualified individuals are down sizing, how can less experienced candidates enter or progress within the job market?
The Government has is encouraging large businesses to provide graduates with internships - with the hope that a significant number will then be employed full time. But how much valuable experience do you really acquire at a multi-national, where the reality is that it is unlikely an intern will be trusted to do more than the coffee run?
Small businesses: my own included, are encouraged to provide work experience and internships by local universities, but it is often a struggle to entice a student to work for a small business - yet, the experience is invaluable. Our present intern has acquired so much experience from helping us at a trade show, setting up databases, checking our websites, managing our hard drive and hard copy filing systems and accompanying us on meetings. We are hoping that our next one will help create a media campaign for particular products and services. They wouldn't get this experience from working in a multi- national - and they have proven experience to put on a CV and discuss at an interview.
Likewise, I have a client who has been a mother for 17 years, and was a highly successful bilingual PA before her career break with a degree in Modern Languages. Personal circumstances and the fact that her sons are older, has meant that she needs to work, yet she has no confidence. However, throughout her career break she has always done voluntary work: everything from PTAs to the toddler group at church and meals on wheels delivery for Old People. After some practice, my client has been able to recognise - and record on her CV, valuable experience she has that would set her apart from other candidates. Not only does she have excellent organisational skills, but she has maintained a book keeping system for funds, liaised with different organisations, fund raised, chaired meetings, communicated with different groups...... The list goes on. If she lived closer to my offices - I would employ her!
My message today is to consider what experience you have - whether it is paid, voluntary or 'work experience'. All are valuable, and could mean the chance of getting a job when you need it. Spend some time writing down all of your experience and how you could relate this to the business world or a particular job you are interested in.
Executive Voice has a telephone and email service, where individuals wanting support with identifying experience - paid or unpaid - how to write it into a CV and also how to discuss it within an interview process. Contact Executive Voice on 0844 576 3015 or susan@executivevoice.co.uk for more information.

Just call me "Ging"

Clive Hartwell was a cool dude: glossy collar length hair, shiny platform shoes and the latest cut of suit. He marched into the Sixth form introducing himself as "Just call me Clive". Dangerous, since this was a girls' school. He lasted two weeks.
Within rugby teams, they address each other with names like "Wrighty", "Johnnie", "Johno", "Simo" etc. It might appear odd to the outsider but is friendly banter and not cruel in any way.
It was with an uncomfortable feeling that I watched Prince Harry's recent experiment as a documentary maker. At one level, hearing a racist term to 'label' a member of his platoon was quite shocking, but then it became obvious that other platoon members were also being given odd names - albeit not of a racist nature. Could it be that the army has a culture that is somewhat adolescent in nature, when they are winding down or away from danger??
The third in line to the throne has a tricky career path to follow: he is always the 'spare': the understudy, and has to be kept occupied. Few would deny that he would have been accepted to Sandhurst had he not been the boss's grandson, and one wonders how many people within that organisation have had the courage to reprimand him without fearing that their progress upwards will be affected.
I am just wondering what Harry's colleagues call him? Given that Clarence House declared that he had returned from Afghanistan "A Hero" and Gordon Brown called him " A role model", I am sure he won't mind me calling him "Ging", "Plank" or even "Idiot".

Excellent Customer Care

I received the following story of customer care from a reader of this blog:

For all Who Work With Rude Customers:

An award should go to the Virgin Airlines desk attendant in Sydney
some months ago for being smart and funny, while making her point,
when confronted with a passenger who probably deserved to fly as
cargo.

A crowded Virgin flight was cancelled after Virgin's 767s had been
withdrawn from service. A single attendant was rebooking a long line
of inconvenienced travellers. Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his
way to the desk. He slapped his ticket down on the counter and said,
'I HAVE to be on this flight and it HAS to be FIRST CLASS'.


The attendant replied, 'I'm sorry, sir. I'll be happy to try to help
you, but I've got to help these people first, and I'm sure we'll be
able to work something out..' The passenger was unimpressed. He asked
loudly, so that the passengers behind him could hear, 'DO YOU HAVE ANY
IDEA WHO I AM?'

Without hesitating, the attendant smiled and grabbed her public
address microphone: 'May I have your attention please, may I have your
attention please,' she began - her voice heard clearly throughout the
terminal.

We have a passenger here at Desk 14 WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHO HE IS. If
anyone can help him find his identity, please come to Desk 14.'

With the folks behind him in line laughing hysterically, the man
glared at the Virgin attendant, gritted his teeth and said, 'F...
You!'

Without flinching, she smiled and said, 'I'm sorry,
sir, but you'll have to get in line for that too.

So do you think this was the best response???

Let's be pleasant to everyone - a New Year's Resolution

You possibly don't know that I am addicted to certain 'Reality Shows'; not the down market Big Brother rubbish, but the Strictly Come Dancing/The Restaurant/I'd do Anything/Last Choir Standing/The Apprentice type - and whilst grimacing at the singing: X Factor. I have just discovered the latest offering by Andrew Lloyd Webber to find a singer to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest later this year.
As anyone familiar with Eurovision in recent years knows: it has been impossible for any UK entry to score points in double figures yet alone win the competition. This has, in part, been due to block voting by neighbouring countries: ex-Russian satellite states awarding Russian maximum points; ditto for Balkan nations and even the Scandinavians ganging together.
Terry Wogan's camp commentary of the event became more frustrated each year, and last year he threw a hissy fit. He has since resigned. Other countries - particularly in Eastern Europe, have accused of UK not taking the competition seriously...
Now - enter stage left, ALW; the world famous musical theatre composer of great musicals including Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita. He is known and respected throughout the world and his musicals have been performed throughout Europe. He's frustrated that UK underachieve at Eurovision. Instead of grumbling about block voting he has another game plan; he's going to be 'Nice' to everyone. Once the singer or singers have been chosen and he has written the song, he's going to visit Eastern European countries with the artiste and be friendly/pleasant and introduce the music. UK probably won't win, but you can bet that:
1. Other countries will warm to the sentiment of being pleasant rather than whingy/standoffish.
2. Other countries that take the competition seriously will recognise that UK are wanting to take it seriously too.
3. Hopefully other countries will like the song, having been introduced to it before the competition and VOTE for UK (and not just one point).
4. It will restore some good will between UK and other parts of Europe.
5. Hopefully it will prevent any gas blockades by Russia to UK.

ALW is being very clever; he isn't being arrogant or confrontational; rather he is being pleasant, empathising with other nations and just, well, trying to encourage people to like him and his music.

My message to you all is: why not have a resolution to be pleasant to people this year. Have a smile on your face - which always makes your voice sound better anyway; be polite to people; hold doors open; say thank you etc.... In these challenging economic times this is something that is free and can lead to very positive outcomes.

Thank you for reading this!

Merry Christmas to you all!

A Merry Christmas to you all - and also a Creative, brave, productive and successful 2009. Remember that if you believe in a vision or want to believe in magic, you will receive what you want. (As seen to the right!)
With my very best wishes
Susan

Mind where you post an opinion

This week I did something that I've never done before: I posted a message on an online forum. This was in response to Austin being voted off Strictly Come Dancing. My son was distraught at this, and I started a new message stating this. I was astonished at the vitriol that some posters directed at my quite innocent comment. It seemed that for some posters, hiding behind a forum name, making personal attacks on myself and my son were perfectly acceptable, yet these comments were in the public domain. Fortunately I also had a pseudonym to avoid identification, but the hate directed at me by a minority was an eye opener. I should mention that the majority of posts were telling the minority to 'back off'.

Now I have learnt from this: I won't be posting another such message! But it made me think of how we communicate on line, and whether hiding behind a screen (whether it be via email or a forum) results in some people forgetting basic manners and communication styles that are unacceptable in other environments.

I remember receiving an astonishing email from a colleague when I was doing some singing teaching: he would never have spoken to me in that way, yet I had this crazy email. Perhaps as it was written I wasn't able to detect the nuance of what he was saying - although it was pretty blunt to me.

I also received an email from a Women's organisation, asking me to contribute to their website, to promote women's entrepreneurship. I had never met "Sophie" yet she copied me, and 100 other entrepreneurs into the same email, which had very girlie, friendly copy, signing herself 'love and kisses Sophiexx' - and demanding I spent 2 hours writing up something to promote her project. I am sure what she does is valuable, but her presentation, familiarity and style - to ask a stranger to volunteer time, did not engage me to assist her. In fact it did the opposite and I didn't want to be associated with her project.

My message today is to really consider how you use emails - and forums when communicating with others; whether they are good friends or strangers. Consider the best way of communicating which is respectful of the other person - particularly if they are a stranger.

The Power of the contract or confirmation letter

In the last few weeks I have had two situations where there have been misunderstandings resulting from a lack of communication. Neither have been a disaster - no blood was shed - but stress, frustration and time wasted would have been avoided.

I shall reveal more; the first was a lovely wedding on Saturday, when some of my talented musicians were performing as a string quartet. The contract I drew up said "Black Tie". The wedding planner didn't clarify this; the musicians wear "Afternoon Black tie - i.e. the ladies wear short black dresses in the afternoon for concert engagements"..... The Wedding Planner was disappointed. It goes round in circles. As I mentioned, it was not a disaster, and one might deduce the Wedding Planner was being rather picky. We have, however, agreed that in future, she needs to be very specific and the string quartet will also ask the question "Short or Long".

In the other situation, I was delivering a team building event, via an Event Management Company for a trainer. She didn't want the client or I to speak directly before the event. I do understand this; there is an element of trust in providing contact details because occasionally an unscrupulous person might 'take' the contact from you for future work - not me though! However, this meant that the client's expectation of the event and my brief didn't match.

This included an expectation that I was producing a studio quality DVD of the activity, to the length of the activity. Of course, I didn't want to create conflict (yes, I am adverse to this), however, I didn't want to have to deliver something that wasn't planned - and something I wasn't being paid to do. We also want to deliver a service that is outstanding, and one that is even higher than the expectation of the client!

My assistant, the wonderful Gary and I worked really hard and totally changed our planning for the session. In the end they wanted TWO DVDs... Not having the backing of the Event Management Company, I wasn't able to say "There is an additional charge for this"... However, every situation is a learning opportunity. We now all realise that:

1. A contract is valuable and is more likely to create repeat business because the agreed activity/service is delivered.

2. To specify exactly what is expected for the fee, and what additional charges there are for (e.g.) DVDs, recordings, debrief reports etc.

3. It is okay to put a clause in a contract to the team building company, stating you can't tout your own business. It is also okay to trust the supplier!

4. If the supplier and client speak before hand, the event is going to be more successful; the supplier is likely to be a specialist and can advise; the event manager is often a 'sales person'.

In my case, a 2 1/2 hour team building event - that has taken two days with preparation and the wretched DVDs that I've had to edit, master, copy etc. will be avoided in future - or at least I will be paid extra for this additional work. Otherwise, I won't accept the work.

Apologies: I'm sounding very stroppy and this isn't intended to be a rant - but I just want others to avoid any problems!